She was a mystery he meant to ignore-until he touched her, and the carefully ordered world of Nikolas, the cursed protector, began to fracture.Cora feels like a fraud in a world of magic, burdened by hidden scars and a volatile power she doesn't understand. All she wants is to disappear. Nikolas, bound by a bitter oath to protect the family who destroyed his own, is the last person she wants watching her. Yet he sees too much.Enemies by circumstance, opposites by design, they're forced together as a rising war brews-fueled by ancient bloodlines and buried betrayals. And survival means trusting each other. A dangerous proposition when every glance burns, and every touch sparks something forbidden.Hate is a shield. But love? Love shatters.When Cora's devastating secret is unleashed-her cursed blood, her awakening magic-Nikolas must choose between the duty that defines him and the woman who's awakened a hunger he can no longer deny.Desire is a dangerous path. But the hunger for truth-and for each other-might be even deadlier.